For weeks leading up to the NFL trade deadline, fans of the Detroit Lions clamored for general manager Brad Holmes to make a move. And not just any move, something that was going to move the needle for a team with legitimate championship aspirations.
Despite it still being prior to the halfway point of the season at the time, Detroit’s defensive front had been decimated by injuries, headlined by the loss of star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. As the hour approached, the rumblings got louder and just like that—defensive end Za’Darius Smith was traded to Detroit from the Cleveland Browns.